Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Gay-Friendly Colleges Receive Well-Deserved Spot in the Limelight

With
Gay Pride Month in full swing, Bestcollegesonline.com
just released an article that recognizes various gay-friendly colleges and
universities throughout the country. Entitled “10
Colleges With a History of Gay Pride,” the article highlights the top 10
educational institutions in the U.S. that are leading the way to equality with
their LGBT-focused academics and student life. The top 10 colleges with a
history of gay pride stretch from coast to coast. The list includes public
schools with enrollment numbers upwards of 30,000 students as well as small
private universities and well-known Ivy Leaguers.

City College of San Francisco (CCSF) took
the number 1 spot on the list. Its Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Studies Department, established in 1989 as the
first of its kind in the United States, has truly laid the foundations for
future developments in queer studies. Furthermore, CCSF has taken advantage of
its prime location by encouraging the diverse populace of the San Francisco
area to participate in and provide input for student-led projects and
initiatives. All of this, combined with a staff of more than 200 out
individuals, has played an integral role in helping students feel more
comfortable on campus while empowering them to create change in the process.

As
Americans gradually begin to accept and embrace their
LGBT counterparts, colleges and universities have emerged as a hub of tolerance
and understanding for the gay community. Some colleges, like CCSF, have adopted
academic programs dedicated to promoting LGBT equality. Others, however, have created
LGBT-friendly student groups to accomplish similar means. Take in pointIndiana University: in the fall of 1995, the
university established the Lambda
10 Project, which aims to increase the visibility of LGBT members of the
campus Greek Life community. Even today, “it exists as the only nonprofit fully dedicated to making fraternity and
sorority houses safe spaces for LGBT students.”

So
whether it be through academics or student life, it is clear that American
colleges and universities have experienced vast strides in improving the quality of life of LGBT students. With the education of American youth at the core of
our nation’s potential for future growth, such strides cannot and will not go
unnoticed. These 10 colleges and universities must serve as an example for not
only other educational institutions but for businesses, corporations, and work
places nationwide as well.

To
see how your child’s college compares to these top institutions, check out Campus Pride’s LGBT-friendly Campus Climate Index. To read
more about discrimination against LGBT students and to learn what you can do to
help create a more LGBT-friendly atmosphere in your child’s school,please visit www.pflag.org/safeschools.